Grocery Business Development Manager

Application Deadline: 28 August 2026

Department: Sales

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Charlotte

Description

Key Responsibilities

• Build and execute a focused target-account strategy across regional and national grocery retailers.
• Create a consistent flow of qualified opportunities through direct outreach, industry relationships, brokers, trade events, referrals and disciplined follow-up.
• Map decision makers and influencers within priority accounts and develop thoughtful entry strategies for each retailer.
• Secure first meetings, line reviews, innovation presentations and new-item discussions with grocery buyers and merchandising leaders.
• Own day-to-day from initial contact through commercial agreement, item authorization and launch commitment.
• Maintain a healthy, stage-based pipeline in HubSpot with clear next steps, values, probabilities and timing.

• Develop retailer-specific selling stories that connect TGF capabilities to the customer's strategy, shopper and category needs.
• Identify white-space opportunities across Henrietta Said, private label, bulk, seasonal programs and custom manufactured mixes.
• Use category data, competitive intelligence and consumer trends to build credible, financially sound recommendations.
• Along with VP, lead customer presentations, proposals, product tastings and negotiations with confidence and executive presence.
• Build programs that create value for both the retailer and TGF, with clear attention to margin, trade investment, volume and operational feasibility.

• Recruit, onboard and direct grocery brokers in priority markets where they strengthen access and execution.
• Set specific expectations for prospecting activity, customer introductions, pipeline creation and presentation quality.
• Use brokers as force multipliers while retaining personal ownership of strategy, relationships and closing the business.
• Evaluate broker performance and make changes when results or accountability do not meet expectations.

• Partner with Marketing, R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Finance and Customer Success to translate customer opportunities into launch-ready programs.
• Lead the internal and external commercialization process for newly won business, including assortment, packaging, forecast and timing alignment.
• Remain accountable through first shipment and initial launch stabilization.
• Complete a deliberate day-to-day handoff to the Retail Business Manager once the account is established, ensuring customer commitments, contacts, forecasts and future opportunities are clearly documented.
• Use CRM, BI tools, and pipeline analytics to track performance, forecast new business, and report results to leadership.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• A true hunter who prefers opening new accounts to maintaining mature ones.
• A strategic seller who can turn TGF capabilities into a compelling customer-specific growth story.
• Commercially minded and comfortable discussing margin, trade spend, pricing and customer economics.
• Highly organized, self-directed and disciplined with CRM and pipeline management.
• Collaborative enough to bring the full company behind an opportunity, yet accountable enough to own the result.
• Confident with senior customers, humble with teammates and willing to do the detailed work required to win.

• Five or more years of grocery retail business development experience within food, snacks, CPG or manufacturing.
• Demonstrated record of personally acquiring new regional or national grocery customers.
• Experience selling directly to buyers, category managers, merchandising leaders and other senior retail decision makers.
• Experience with branded, private-label and/or custom-manufactured product programs.
• Strong presentation, negotiation, financial and written communication skills.
• Experience recruiting and managing grocery brokers.
• Proficiency with CRM platforms, BI tools, Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Bachelor's degree preferred; equivalent relevant experience will be considered.
• Ability to travel up to approximately 30%, including customer visits, broker meetings, trade shows and TGF facilities.

• Hunter mentality, energized by prospecting, pipeline building, and winning new business.
• Strong strategic selling skills, including senior-level relationship development and consultative selling.
• Proven broker management experience with the ability to recruit, develop, and hold partners accountable.
• Financial acumen includes trade spend management and new account P&L analysis.
• Strong presentation and negotiation skills.
• Proficient in CRM platforms (Hubspot preferred), BI tools, distributor portals, Nielsen data and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Organized and self-directed; thrives in a role with significant autonomy and accountability.

• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• 5+ years of grocery retail business development experience within CPG or food manufacturing.
• Demonstrated track record of acquiring new retail customers and growing distribution.
• Experience calling on regional and/or national grocery retailers.
• Experience recruiting and managing broker partners in the grocery channel.

• Experience in snack, bulk, or better-for-you food categories.
• Existing relationships with regional and national grocery retailers.
• Experience with private label and manufactured product sales alongside branded programs.

• Work is primarily performed in Charlotte office with occasional trade travel and customer visits.
• The noise level in the typical work environment is usually moderate.

• Up to 30% travel required, including customer visits, broker meetings, trade shows, and industry events.

Benefits

• Affordable healthcare (medical/dental/vision)
• Opportunity to participate in the Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Short Term Disability Insurance paid by the company
• Basic life Insurance equals to your annual salary paid by the company
• Employee Assistance Program – paid by the company
• Long Term Disability Insurance
• The opportunity to purchase additional voluntary insurance coverage for:
• Life Insurance
• Accident
• Whole Life
• Prepaid Legal
• PTO (Paid Time Off)
• 9 Paid Holidays per year
• 401-k Plan (eligible after 6 months of employment)